Animal Health & Welfare Stakeholder Meeting

Present

SG – AHW Stakeholder Group
Martyn Blissitt John Bell ((MRI/SBA)
Kim Davie Lisa Boden (EPIC)
Alastair Douglas Paul Burr (BCVA)
Jesus Gallego John Cameron (NSA)
Bill Hepburn Graeme Cochrane (AHVLA)
Vicky O'Donnell Dominic Duckett (EPIC)
Nickola Paul Mike Flynn (SSPCA)
Andrew Voas Frederike Hakker (Dutch vet student)
Sheila Voas Brian Hosie (SAC CVS)
Penny Johnston (NFUS)
David Logue (BVA) Janette Mathie (SDCA)
George Milne (NSA)
Willie McCulloch (IAAS)
Kathy Peebles (QMS)
Kim Willoughby (MRI)

Apologies

Nick Ambrose (AHW)
Ian Anderson (SAMW)
Pete Goddard (EPIC)
Peter Melens (AHVLA)
Nigel Miller (NFUS)
Helen O'Neill (S.Lanarkshire Council)
Mick Park (AHVLA)
David Pritchard (IAAS)
Mara Rocchi (MRI)
Douglas Scott (SFMTA)
David Whiteford (SFQC)
Andrew Wright (IAAS)

1. Welcome and Introduction.

• SV welcomed everyone to the meeting, passed on apologies for those unable to attend and invited introductions.

2. Minutes & update on action points from meeting of 4 March 2013.

• Minutes from the previous meeting were agreed.

• Action point 1 – confirmation has now been received from SAMU and BCMS on number of cattle & sheep returned from slaughter houses for the period 2006-2012. These figures have been made available to the group. Full figures for sheep were not yet available for 2012.

• Action point 2 – the sheep scab data for 2012 is incomplete as data of those slaughtered rather than treated is not included.

• Action point 3 – EID implementation (in Scotland); information i.e. numbers/ reasons for breaches sought from colleagues in SG Rural Payments & Inspection Directorate (RPID).

• ACTION: CVO to follow up with RPID re providing the nos of EID breaches reported and the reasons why.

3. Presentation from Brian Hosie (SACCVS) on identification of current disease topics by species. See embedded pdf below.

• This new item for the agenda where a presentation on the current state of disease per species is given proved useful to the group and will be included on future agendas. Consideration also to publication on website.

4. Schmallenberg.

• Announcement made by Veterinary Medicines Directorate on 21 May about availability and marketing of a vaccine.

• SG have said that “it is not for Scottish Government to comment on the use of the vaccine. Farmers should make a decision to vaccinate their livestock in consultation with their private vet based on their individual circumstances and the balance between costs and benefits”.

• This poses 3 questions for stakeholders:

– are vet practices up to speed with developments?
– should guidance be given to producers?
– how much research has been undertaken about immunity to the
vaccine?

• Several concerns raised by industry that there is a lack of knowledge about the vaccine, however, it was acknowledged that more information to raise awareness will be published by the manufacturer in the vet press very soon. Issues to be considered include:

– vaccine may not protect against infertility (in both sheep & cattle)
– will exposure to the vaccine lead to long term immunity?
– produce guidance and information for circulation to industry.
– what other benefits might the vaccine provide?
– better funded research is needed.
– data should be published by the manufacturer about the period of immunity the vaccine will provide

ACTION: Stakeholders in liaison with SG to consider producing information document for publication in the Scottish farming press.

5. Future options – veterinary surveillance.

• SG Strategic Management Board for Surveillance met to discuss this and will make recommendations to Cabinet Secretary in the coming months. SG at this point cannot divulge what the future options will be. However, SG will look at how best to do this. Assurance was given by CVO that the intention is that a good service is and will continue to be provided to the industry.

6. TB – update on risk based testing.

• 12 confirmed new cases of bovine TB reported in the last year; plus 5 direct imports from Northern Ireland (NI) making a total of 17.
• Incidence of bovine TB in NI shows an increase from last year and more cases detected there. CVO wrote to NI CVO to raise awareness.
• Scotland remains officially free of bovine TB.
• Risk based surveillance strategy last year tested 2201 herds, but exempted 1018 herds.
• Noted that in England a project board, chaired by Simon Hall is looking at the procurement of OV services, including for routine TB testing, which is the single largest AHVLA annual cost.
• Scotland is adopting different approaches – for example, risk based testing is saving money for government and farmers..
• EPIC were recently commissioned to look at testing high risk herds to assess whether SG should be doing more testing. The conclusion was that current protocols for testing higher risk herds remain sufficient to contain the risk.
• Compensation rates are being assessed to decide if different compensation policies could be applied to those taking the highest risks.

7. Lesions identified at slaughter.

• SG has received some correspondence about suspected TB cases found in condemned carcasses at slaughterhouses, but test results were shown to be negative.
• Cultures are taken from suspected cases at slaughter houses to determine what if any action needs to be taken at the farm of origin
• FSA at slaughter house condemned carcasses if a generalised condition is obvious, they are not condemned only if suspected TB
• Decision on whether a carcase should be condemned lies with the FSA.
• Where multiple lesions are present e.g. two or more systems , carcase may be condemned if in the OV's opinion, there is evidence of blood borne spread
• If lesions are not caused by M. bovis no further test is undertaken since this provides no benefit to Govt.

8. Number and impact of IRs at routine testing.

• There was a brief discussion about the length of time that restrictions are placed on animals when there are a number of IRs results following routine testing.
• It was suggested that clarification was needed on whether or not total herd restriction should remain or should the first IR result just restrict the individual animal.
• OV conducting test serves TB2 herd restriction on disclosure of IRs or Rs. If IRs only, the TB2 is superceded by a TB34 (issued by AHVLA) restricting individual IRs only. However, the TB2 remains in the following circumstances even if only IRs are identified:

• If the OTF status of the herd has been withdrawn in the past three years.
• If the test is not yet complete and there are further parts to be done.
• If the keeper indicates they are unwilling/unable to isolate the IR, as isolation is a condition of the TB34.

• Assuming no reactors are identified initially, the remaining IR(s) then require further testing (or they can be voluntarily slaughtered – see next bullet point). When IR(s) are re-tested they will either: test clear in which case all restrictions will be lifted by AHVLA; or, at least one IR remains an IR – at this point it is classified as a reactor, whole herd restrictions are imposed and the animal(s) valued and slaughtered; or IR gives reactor readings and again whole herd restrictions are imposed and the animal valued and slaughtered.

• After the 1st IR readings a farmer may opt to voluntarily slaughter any IR(s). These animal will be examined post mortem for physical evidence of Tb and relevant samples taken for culture. If evidence of TB is found at this stage TB will be confirmed on the premises. If there is only an individual TB34 restriction notice in force it is replaced with a TB2 herd restriction on confirmation. If there is no evidence of TB in the carcase and no TB is cultured, AHVLA will lift restrictions, and assess the TB risk posed by these voluntarily slaughtered IR animals to decide upon future herd testing requirements.

ACTION: SG AHW secretariat to include this topic as an agenda item for next meeting for AHVLA to clarify.

9. Flukicides for milk producing animals.

• Large numbers of cattle presented at slaughterhouses demonstrates an increase in the incidence of liver fluke.
• There is particular concern for the welfare of dairy animals because of recent restrictions placed on the use of some flukicides.
• Concerns have been raised about this at CVO meetings, however, SG have limited influence VMD as this is a reserved matter; Defra are aware of the problem.
• Intention is to highlight to the Commission to raise awareness of the problem.
• NSA increasingly worried about the welfare for sheep and consider that the welfare issues are as serious as the effect that FMD outbreaks have caused. Great numbers of sheep are suffering for a significant amount of time before death.
• There was discussion about the use of copper sulphite to kill snails.
• Industry reported Wales use trace copper sulphite to kill snails – details requested.
• SASA do not think copper sulphite will be approved to use but industry asked about trials to establish how effective the use of other sulphites are.

10. Withdrawal periods for scab treatments.

• SG informed the group the VMD has recently reduced the withdrawal period of Osmond's Gold Fleece Sheep Dip from 70 to 49 days
• Withdrawal periods are too long and need to be reduced and industry consider lengthy withdrawal periods could become a welfare issue.
• Manufacturers need to provide more data, this might help to allow users to change withdrawal periods.
• Merits of sheep dipping to treat sheep scab were discussed and SG were asked about when this might be made compulsory.
• Scottish Sheep Scab Working Group concluded that compulsory national dipping did not work; it is not effective now to force people to have their animals dipped; methods and the form of treatment have progressed and indiscriminate use of products is no longer acceptable.
• Enforcement is problematic due to limited availability and prolonged withdrawal periods.

11. EPIC – update.

• Module 4 completed medium to long term planning and the techniques that might be used for tackling disease.
• Looked at the future based on the cattle industry, and what it might look like in 2014; the drivers for change and what would have a high impact.
• A set of data has been produced based on several scenarios which included:

– different regulatory structure
– a reduced priority for agriculture
– technology e.g. EID, surveillance; and
– climate

• EPIC now at the stage of analysing this data as well as completing feedback from people who were involved. Initial indications are that the exercise proved to be successful and worthwhile. A report will be produced for SG in due course.
• Plan to run a similar exercise in early 2014 for a different species. Thanks were extended to everyone who took part.

12. FVO issues about journey times for livestock to markets.

• FVO reported on journey times for livestock passing through markets and how the requirements of Reg (EC) No. 1/2005 were interpreted
• FVO do not agree with our interpretation
• A UK meeting took place recently in Carlisle to explore what the markets might be able to do to comply e.g. have the market approved as an assembly centre to allow it to be the point of departure for animals travelling less than 100km to the market or that have been rested at the market for 6 hours
• Feedback suggests that different markets may have different preferences.
• The issue remains under consideration, and SG will meet industry to discuss practical suggestions further.

13. In-grown horns in sheep.

• Several severe cases reported by abattoirs.
• Farmers consigning sheep said they were unaware of the problem.
• Paper is being prepared by NFUS for inclusion in farming press.

14. AOB

• The group were told that Rupert Hine has replaced Mike Steel as Animal Health VLA Director, following Mike's retirement.

• Update provided on Animal Health & Welfare Strategy

o 10 year strategy ends in 2014
o SNP manifesto suggests a new strategy will involve working in collaboration with stakeholders
o plan to have a working group to engage with stakeholders and invite volunteers from the current group to take part, but timing is not yet clear.
o Both Defra and the Welsh Government intend to produce a strategy each, but it is hoped that overarching principles that will guide the strategies of all three administrations will be agreed, and discussions on the content of those principles are underway.

ACTION: Group members to e-mail AHW if they are interested in participating in the working group.

15. Date of next meeting. To be arranged for September.

ACTION: SG AHW secretariat to confirm date and arrange meeting.